Broadway Today!
- Kris
- Feb 28, 2016
- 3 min read
If I had enough money to fund such a hobby, I would see a Broadway show every single day for the rest of my life – except for Mondays, obviously. As it stands, I don’t have the means for that, nor the transportation. So, since I can’t have Broadway every day, at least there’s Broadway Today!
(It was the name of the show.)
Betsy Wolfe and Darren Criss joined the National Symphony Orchestra for their Pops series to celebrate some of the best show tunes and musical scores from the past 40 years or so. This included many songs I did know: “Suddenly Seymour,” “Maybe This Time,” and “You and Me (But Mostly Me).” But, I admit, most of the first act included selections from shows I’d never heard of.
I personally loved “The Streets of Dublin,” which seemed to be like an Irish version of “Piano Man.” Although I’ve never been to Dublin, I can appreciate the sentiment of celebrating local people and stories over a drink. And Darren approached this song with a twinge of an accent, taking me right back to my brief time in Cork and delightful atmosphere of the local Irish music shows around Annapolis.
The orchestra performed four pieces without vocal accompaniment, spread throughout the entire show. They opened with selections from The Phantom of the Opera. Who wouldn’t get excited from that alone? Although I’ve never seen the show live, I have read the book and seen the movie. It’s a booming, exciting piece. Though, not quite the descent to the Phantom’s Lair, it was perfect way for the audience to become immersed into the world of musical theater.
The next orchestral piece was the theme from Ragtime. I genuinely like the way ragtime music sounds, so, even though I didn’t know the musical, I could appreciate the music all the same.
Their third piece, to kick off the second act after intermission, was the Chicago Suite. The dad in front of me was so into it, I enjoyed watching him shimmy his shoulders more than the orchestra. If you can’t appreciate other people having such an experience, you are obviously missing out on the point of live music. On that note, there was a guy behind me losing his shit during “Suddenly Seymour.” I love that. Everyone has their own favorites, but the joy and excitement is always contagious.
Their final piece was from Les Misérables, “At the End of Days/Do You Hear the People Sing?” Again this is a show that I’d love to see live, but a score which I couldn’t mistake.
In the second act, Darren performed with his guitar, which everyone should know by now is my kryptonite. His arrangement of “I Dreamed a Dream” stripped the song from the drama of theater, and instead seemed to channel the laments of Bob Dylan. It remained just as sad. And just as lovely.
His guitar also made an appearance for one of my favorite duets of all time, “Falling Slowly” from the musical Once. It’s such a sweet and gentle song against a repertoire of showstoppers; I think it’s a great addition to the classics of musical theater.
Betsy Wolfe shined in every song she performed, but a real hit was her rendition of “Let It Go,” not quite a Broadway tune yet, but written by a well-known team in theater circles. Of course, it’s also a crowd favorite. I loved her performance of “A Summer in Ohio” from The Last Five Years and “Getting Married Today” from Company.
She’s got a real voice on her, and it was a delight to hear.
The show ended with Betsy Wolfe’s “Maybe This Time,” followed immediately by an encore of “Take Me or Leave Me” from RENT with Betsy in the role of Maureen, and Darren singing the part of Joanne.
Out of the shows celebrated at the performance, I’d only seen two in person: The Book of Mormon and RENT, the latter of which wasn’t even on the actual playbill.
It reflects just how relevant theater still is to a community that thrives on the power of music and story. Many of the songs I knew outside of their shows because they are genuinely great songs. And the ones I never heard were immediately compelling because they told of stories and experiences that are incredibly moving and relatable.
I may not be a Broadway devotee, but I certainly feel the call.
Edited June 2016 from post originally published February 28, 2016 via Wordpress
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